Tara Stiles’ Healthy Travel Tips

It’s possible to stay healthy while travelling a lot and I think a lot of that has to do with staying active and having fun

With yoga studios in 15 countries and a collaboration with W Hotels that takes her all over the world, yoga guru Tara Stiles spends a large chunk of her life on the road. The woman who trains Deepak Chopra, Brooklyn Decker and Jane Fonda talks to us about some of her favourite trips and tells us how she stays in shape when she travels.

What’s the first item you throw in your suitcase?

Yoga pants and a few T-shirts.

What has been your favourite journey so far?

My favourite trip might be my first few trips to Asia. I usually go to a few cities on each trip and the energy of the people and the nature are so invigorating.

Which country would you still like to visit?

There is so much of the world I still haven’t seen. I’d love to see Iceland and the Northern Lights and explore South America more.

I’m just back from a long European and Asia tour. I started in Barcelona, then went onto Singapore, Bali, Koh Samui, Maldives, Sydney, Malaysia, and then finished in Ibiza where I enjoyed a few days of relaxation.

Which country do you visit the most?

I find myself in Singapore quite a lot, and also London. My schedule gets set around events and things, but these two cities keep pulling me back pretty regularly. No complaints here!

What’s your favourite thing to do in Singapore?

Hang out at the Strala studio [at Boat Quay]. The new location on the water is so pretty and fun. Also Mike [her husband] and I love walking through the the Cloud Forest in Gardens By The Bay. It’s a great place to cool off and I always learn something new about our planet and how we can help.

Tanya’s Cafe in London is great. And not crazy healthy, but pretty healthy and super fun, is Vegan Burg in Singapore. I love getting to know where the local health and yoga people eat. They know all the best spots so I try to hang around them when I’m in town [laughs].

Which phrase do you use the most when you are travelling?

Thank you (in whichever language is appropriate).

Which yoga pose were you the most pleased to master?

For me yoga is about living a healthy lifestyle. The poses aren’t the goal and shouldn’t even really be emphasised so much.

Pigeon is great to release tension in the hips and back and mind, which can pile up from travel. Come to sit easy on your hips. Lean into one hip and slide your other leg around behind you. Take a big inhale and sit up tall. Exhale and crawl yourself forward finding a comfortable place you can settle for several long deep breaths. When you’re ready, gently come up and go for the other side.

You spend a long time away from home, what’s your tip for staying healthy on the road?

It’s not super easy, but it’s possible to stay healthy while traveling a lot and I think a lot of that has to do with staying active and having fun. I try to enjoy and be grateful for all the wonderful places and people I get to meet and see all the time. I keep my meals simple and clean and always carry water and easy and healthy snacks handy. Sleep is also hugely important for me and I try to get as much as possible.

What are your plans for the future?

Strala Yoga, the book is coming out soon so that’s exciting. I’m traveling a bit for some events in the US and then back to London, Berlin and Dubai this Fall. I’ll be home for the holidays in Illinois with family and in 2017, my new book, Guiding Strala launches in May.

Need more tips on how to perfect the Pigeon Pose? Stiles demonstrates it here.

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